About Me

I was a reporter and columnist for 40 years for a chain of newspapers in the suburbs of Chicago. I'm a military veteran having served in the United States Army Combat Engineers (Cpl. E-4) and a Korean War veteran with an Honorable Discharge from the Armed Forces of the United States of America

Thursday, May 22, 2008

To see the names, hometowns, month of death and cause of death of each soldier killed in the Iraq war since the start of the war click on the month and year in "BLUE" and then click on each name also in "BLUE." This is the most comprehensive list of names, hometowns, and cause of death of every single GI killed in Iraq you will ever see.

(WebMD) Some U.S. soldiers returning from the war in Iraq are bringing lung disease home with them. A new study shows a large group of Iraq War veterans has been diagnosed with bronchiolitis, a type of lung disease that affects the small airways of the lung.

It causes shortness of breath and/or rapid and labored breathing. "All of the soldiers evaluated were physically fit at the time of deployment. On return, none of those diagnosed with bronchiolitis met physical training standards.

In almost every case they were declared unfit for duty and were medically boarded with a service connected disability," says researcher Robert Miller, MD, assistant professor of pulmonary and critical care medicine at Vanderbilt University, in a news release.

Bronchiolitis is associated with many conditions, such as toxic inhalation, infection, and rheumatoid arthritis. But researchers say these results suggest that exposure to toxins during the Iraq War may also need to be considered as a risk factor for unexplained breathing problems. "Bronchiolitis needs to be considered in Iraq War veterans presenting with unexplained shortness of breath on exertion," says researcher Matthew King, MD, of Vanderbilt. Lung Disease Risks Researchers evaluated 56 soldiers from Fort Campbell, Ky., for symptoms of lung disease. Initial evaluations with lung function tests, chest X-rays, and other imaging showed no major signs of lung disease.

But biopsies of lung tissue confirmed a diagnosis of bronchiolitis in 29 of 31 Iraq War veterans referred for biopsy. Most of those diagnosed with bronchiolitis had prolonged exposure to sulfur dioxide from a sulfur mine fire near Mosul, Iraq, in 2003; others had no reported specific risk factors for lung disease. The U.S. Department of Defense says the Mosul sulfur fire was deliberately set and considers it a combat-related event. Researchers say it was the largest man-made release of sulfur dioxide.

The father of a 101st Airborne Division soldier says his son was killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq.

Bill Haunert of Blue Ash, Ohio, said his son Branden, 21, enlisted in the Army last year and his unit was deployed to Iraq about five weeks ago.

The Defense Department has not confirmed the identification. The Army often waits at least 24 hours after a family is notified to announce a service member's death.Branden Haunert was a 2005 graduate of Sycamore High School in suburban Cincinnati, where he played baseball, and attended the University of Cincinnati before enlisting. His father said military representatives told the family Sunday that the Humvee Branden Haunert was in was hit by a roadside bomb, and that he died at the scene.The entire Haunert family is "devastated," Bill Haunert told The Cincinnati Enquirer on Monday. "His brothers are taking it pretty hard."Bill Haunert said he and his wife, Tammy, have five other sons.Bill Haunert said Branden wanted to serve his country."He knew he'd probably be going to Iraq," his father said. "He was doing what he wanted to do."Branden Haunert joined the Army in the summer of 2007 and went through basic training at Fort Benning, Ga., before being assigned to the 327th Infantry, 2nd Battalion, 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, an Army post on the Kentucky-Tennessee border.His father said he was doing well in the Army.

Fox News has been going ballistic over Barack Obama's statement he would negotiate with Iran before making any decisions about a military solution to the problem. Brit Hume and all the Bush White House sycophants at FOX NEWS have been saying there must be pre-conditions spelled out before meeting with the leader of Iran. However, General David Petraeus said at his confirmation hearing for leader of U.S. forces in the Middle East and Central Asia he was all for talking with the Iranian leader and not using military force.

Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, President Bush's nominee to lead U.S. forces in the Middle East and Central Asia, supports continued U.S. engagement with international and regional partners to find the right mix of diplomatic, economic and military leverage to address the challenges posed by Iran.

In written answers to questions posed by the Senate Armed Services Committee, where he will testify today, Petraeus said the possibility of military action against Iran should be retained as a "last resort." But he said the United States "should make every effort to engage by use of the whole of government, developing further leverage rather than simply targeting discrete threats."

Petraeus's views echoed those expressed by Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, who this month said that talks with Iran could be useful if the right combination of incentives and pressures could be developed.

Despite President Bush's repeated commitment to diplomacy to resolve problems with Iran -- including its activities in Iraq, an alleged nuclear weapons program and support for terrorist groups -- some lawmakers and U.S. allies remain concerned that military action is being contemplated.Click on link to read full story

KABUL, Afghanistan - One NATO soldier and two Afghan civilians were killed Thursday when protests in Afghanistan over the shooting of a Quran by a U.S. soldier turned violent, officials said.NATO spokesman Maj. Martin O'Donnell said demonstrators were protesting near a military airfield in western Ghor province and began to throw rocks and set tents on fire. Police opened fire on demonstrators when the protest became violent, killing two civilians and wounding seven others, he said. Gunfire killed one NATO soldier and wounded another, but it was not clear who shot at them, O'Donnell said.http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24774048/

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- The U.S. military "sincerely regrets" that it killed two children in a helicopter attack on militants linked to a suspected al Qaeda in Iraq leader, a colonel with Multi-National Force-Iraq said Thursday.

The U.S. military is investigating the operation against insurgents in northern Iraq's Salaheddin province, just south of Baiji, it said in a statement Thursday.

An American chopper struck cars near a farm late Wednesday, killing eight people, including two children, Baiji police said. The U.S. military said the children were in a vehicle with militants.The operation targeted al Qaeda in Iraq militants operating a weapons storage facility, Multi-National Force-Iraq said in its statement.

The militants "were believed to be associated with a suicide bombing network," the military said."Sensitive intelligence further indicated that these individuals were directly associated with a suspected senior [al Qaeda in Iraq] foreign terrorist facilitator," the military said. "Unfortunately, two children were killed when the other occupants of the vehicle, in which they were riding, exhibited hostile intent."

The military "sincerely regrets when any innocent civilians are injured that result from terrorists locating themselves in and around them. We take every precaution to protect innocent civilians and engage only hostile threats," MNF-I spokesman Col. Jerry O'Hara said.

The mainstream media in the United States feels it is not important enough to let Americans know that on Wednesday, May 21 45 Iraqi civilians were killed and another 33 wounded.Wednesday: 45 Iraqis Killed; 33 Iraqis WoundedUpdated at 11:45 p.m. EDT, May 21, 2008

May. 21, 2008 May 20: Trash pickup in most of Baghdad ended with the rule of Saddam Hussein. Now the garbage chokes the capital's streets and clogs the sewage pipes and canals, which overflow and burst.

The sewage that leaks out of broken pipes seeps through the dirt of roads that were once paved, but now have mostly turned to dirt because the tracks of American tanks and Bradley fighting vehicles have destroyed the asphalt over five years of war.

Above the roads, low-slung electric wires hang like an enormous web woven by some apocalyptic spider, strung from street generators to poles to homes, from one street to the next. Yet, most Baghdadis receive less than four hours of electricity a day. Running water, too, is a rare commodity. As far as safety is concerned, a quiet neighborhood is one where gunfire and explosions are something residents only hear, not see.

But whenever American soldiers ask the locals how they live, the Iraqis' first response is typically: Much better, thank you.

Then they list the basic services they do not have."They say it's better, but I wonder if it's really better," muses Maj. Kelly Dickerson, a U.S. Army reservist and a civil affairs officer who is trying to help the 4-64 Armor Battalion of the 4th Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division reinstate basic services in southwestern Baghdad. Dickerson's current project is to bring sewage-pumping trucks into the lowlands of Risala, a Shiite militant stronghold where stagnant lakes of raw sewage flood squares and streets. The idea that having human waste pool outside one's home is somehow a sign of progress doesn't sit well with Maj. Dickerson.

Better compared to what? I ask. Better compared to 2003, when sewage was still mostly consigned to pipes and canals?

Or better compared to 10 months ago, when stray dogs were feasting on the dead bodies of victims of sectarian bloodshed, which were left to lie in the streets for days? If you ask a patient who has just come out of a coma how he's doing, he will probably say that he's much better, thank you -- never mind that he is connected to IVs and a respirator and is missing a leg.

The media continues its relentless "blackout" on all news coming out of Iraq which would in any way make the United States look bad. US troops have killed 11 Iraqi civilians, but you will never read or hear a word about in the mainstream media in the United States.U.S. shoots 11 in Iraq, police blame snipers

BAGHDAD, May 21 (Reuters) - The U.S. military said its troops shot dead 11 militants in eastern Baghdad on Wednesday, but police and several residents said at least some of the dead were civilians killed by U.S. snipers.

There were conflicting accounts of the shootings in different parts of the Obaidi district close to Sadr City, the main stronghold of anti-American cleric Moqtada al-Sadr where Iraqi troops backed by tanks have launched an operation to take control of the streets.

The U.S. military said all those killed were members of "special groups", military jargon for rogue units of Sadr's Mehdi Army militia accused of receiving funding and training from Iran.

In their rush to paint a picture of how well everything is going in Iraq, the media in the United States keeps "spiking" any story that would make the US look bad in the eyes of the Iraqis and the world.This is a perfect example of a news story totally ignored by the mainstream media in the US.

The mainstream media gets their marching orders from the Pentagon and if the Pentagon says violence in Iraq and Afghanistan is down 70% the mainstream media in the United States goes right along with whatever the Pentagon says.

Far and away the worst are the cable news stations and FOX NEWS continues to be the leader of disinformation on the wars Iraq and Afghanistan.

Here is what happened on Wednesday, May 21 in Iraq and Afghanistan. Does this look like everything is calm in both countries?

Source: http://warnewstoday.blogspot.com/Click on each marked in BLUE for further detailsNATO is reporting the death of an ISAF soldier from an explosion in Ghazni province on Tuesday, May 20th. Two additional soldiers were wounded and a civilian interpreter was killed in the attack. NATO later released an updated statement that one one the wounded soldiers later died in an ISAF hospital.The DoD is reporting a new death previously unreported by CENTCOM. Lt. Col. Joseph A. Moore died of natural causes in Djibouti on Tuesday, May 20th. He was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. No other details were released.Reported Security incidents:Baghdad:#1: Iraqi troops tightened their grip on the Baghdad militia bastion of Sadr City on Wednesday, a day after moving into the Shiite district for the first time in eight weeks, officials said. More Iraqi soldiers were seen deploying in the district and dozens of blasts were heard as they carried out controlled explosions of roadside bombs planted by militiamen during deadly clashes with US troops, residents said.#2: Hospitals in Sadr City said they admitted no casualties from any violence in the district overnight, in sharp contrast to the past weeks of violence when dozens of dead or wounded were admitted daily.#3: Another three civilians were wounded when a bomb went off in Baghdad's Palestine street, witnesses told dpa. Nearby stores were also destroyed in the blast.Four civilians were wounded on Wednesday in a roadside bomb explosion in eastern Baghdad, said a police source."An explosive charge went off in Sahet Beirut in Palestine street region in eastern Baghdad, wounding four civilians," the source told Aswat al-Iraq - Voices of Iraq.#4: At least 11 people were killed Wednesday when gunfire broke out after a roadside bombing in a Shiite militia stronghold in eastern Baghdad near Sadr City, scene of a major military clampdown, Iraqi police said. The violence Wednesday also raises fears that Shiite fighters could stir up trouble in nearby parts of eastern Baghdad. Two Iraqi officials said the shooting occurred about 5:30 a.m. in the Obeidi neighborhood after three roadside bombs targeted joint U.S.-Iraqi troops. But the U.S. military said its forces were not involved in any events in the area. It was not clear who opened fire after the explosions. Eleven bystanders were killed and one person wounded, one of the police officials said. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to release the information.American soldiers killed 11 suspected Shiite gunmen in clashes Wednesday in a militia stronghold near Baghdad's Sadr City, scene of a major Iraqi army clampdown, the U.S. military said. The U.S. military identified the 11 killed Wednesday in the New Baghdad district as "special group criminals," terminology it uses to refer to rogue Shiite fighters who defy al-Sadr's cease-fire orders. Four heavily armed militants were killed while traveling in a sport utility vehicle, four others were killed because they engaged in suspicious behavior, and three were killed after they were spotted planting two separate roadside bombs, according to a statement. Two Iraqi police officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to release the information, said earlier that 11 bystanders, including two street sweepers, were killed and one wounded when joint U.S.-Iraqi troops opened fire after a roadside bombing in the area.#5: A booby-trapped car parked near the Sa'ah Restaurant in Mansour district detonated around 3 p.m. (1200 GMT), killing a civilian and wounding six others, the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.#6: Also in the afternoon, another car bomb parked at the Kendi thoroughfare in Harthiyah neighborhood detonated and wounded four people, damaging several nearby shops and civilian cars, the source said.#7: Gunmen assassinated Colonel Abdul Kareem Muhsin, the director of the protection department in the ministry of transportation while he was in his way back home on Mohammed al Qasim high way in east Baghdad around 3:00 p.m.#8: Three people were killed and two wounded in a mortar attack in southern Baghdad, police said.#9: Around 6:00 p.m. a parked car bomb exploded in Atifiyah neighborhood in north Baghdad targeting a US military convoy. No casualties reported.#10: On Wednesday morning, an IED attached to the car of Judge Qasim Ali Motar, the judge in the investigation court in Abo Ghraib while the judge was driving to work in Abo Ghraib district in west Baghdad. Judge Qasim was injured seriously and lost one of the his legs in the explosion.#11: Police found five unidentified bodies throughout Baghdad (1 body in UR, 1 body Zayuna, 1 body in Doura, 1 body in al Risalah and 1 body Saidiyah)Diyala Prv:#1: In other news, Kurdish security sources said four members of the Awakening Council were killed and another three wounded when militants opened fire on their checkpoint in the late hours of Tuesday. The insurgents attacked the checkpoint in Jolaa district, north- eastern Baghdad.Gunmen attacked a checkpoint in Sheikh Baba district, part of jalawla northeast of Baquba city killing four Kurdish security members known as (Asayish).#2: The Asayish forces attacked al Shawathib area in the same district and arrested 15 young men. Two hours later, the bodies of two of the 15 young men were found while no information provided about the others.#3: Iraqi security forces killed four gunmen who attacked their checkpoint near Jalawlah town, about 100 km (60 miles) north of Baghdad. Three Kurdish troops were wounded, Major Jalil Muhammad Ali said.Bahraz:#1: Policemen found three unidentified bodies in south of Baaquba city, a security source said on Wednesday. "Police forces, in cooperation with local residents, found three unknown corpses in al-Karama neighborhood in Bahraz district, south of Baaquba," the source, who asked to be unnamed, told Aswat al-Iraq - Voices of Iraq.Iraqi army found two mass grave yards in al Abbara area south of Baquba city. The first grave included three corpses while the second grave included seven corpses.Mosul:#1: Gunmen in a car killed the cleric of a mosque in western Mosul, 390 km (240 miles) north of Baghdad, police said.Al Anbar Prv:Anbar Cuty: (?)#1: Separately, a woman suicide bomber detonated her explosive belt in front of a headquarters of an Awakening Council (the US-backed anti- insurgency militia), killing two police officers and wounding another four, al-Iraqiya television reported. The explosion occurred in the Ratab area of Anbar city, some 100 kilometres west of Baghdad.Afghanistan:#1: Attacks on Khyber trucking threaten US supply line: Thieves, feuding tribesmen and Taliban militants are creating chaos along the main Pakistan-Afghanistan highway, threatening a vital supply line for U.S. and NATO forces. Abductions and arson attacks on the hundreds of cargo trucks plying the switchback road through the Khyber Pass have become commonplace this year. Many of the trucks carry fuel and other material for foreign troops based in Afghanistan. U.S. and NATO officials play down their losses in these arid mountains of northwestern Pakistan - even though the local arms bazaar offers U.S.-made assault rifles and Beretta pistols, and the alliance is negotiating to open routes through other countries.#2: Afghan troops have killed 14 Taliban militants in southern province of Zabul, a local official said Wednesday. "Afghan troops with the support of air power pounded militants positions in Khak-e-Afghan district Tuesday night killing 14 rebels," Gulab Mangal, deputy to Zabul provincial administration, told Xinhua. He said eight of the bodies left on the ground appeared to be foreign nationals. However, the official did not say if there were any casualties on Afghan forces.#3: Six Afghan police officers were killed Wednesday and five were wounded in a traffic accident in western Afghanistan, police said. A police ranger vehicle collided head-on with a trailer truck as both were travelling at a high rate of speed on the highway between the Shindand district of the western province of Herat and Herat city, its provincial capital, said Abdul Mutalib Rad, a police spokesman in the region. Rad said the injured police, some in critical condition, were evacuated to a provincial hospital for treatment.#4: The police official died when insurgents targeted a security check post late Tuesday in Ningolai area of the volatile Swat valley in North-West Frontier Province, according to a statement from the Pakistan Army.#5: The Islamic militants also set ablaze two girls' schools in Swat, where the Pakistani army has been conducting operations since late October to clear out followers of a radical Muslim cleric, Fazlullah, who wants to impose Taliban-style Islamic rule in the region.#6: Separately, unknown gunmen on Wednesday morning opened fire at the vehicle of a parliament member, Noorul Haq Qadri, in the tribal district of Khyber Agency that borders Afghanistan. The member of parliament was not in his car but his four relatives died in the attack.

This comes as no surprise to this blogger. We have been writing for months how the mainstream media in the United States has all but abandoned coverage of the Iraq war. The worst is cable news and the worst of the cable news stations for providing coverage of the war is FOX NEWS.The Iraq and Afghanistan wars have taken a backseat to the race for the White House and no longer can Americans count on their media sources for news about the wars. Poll: Americans Want their Iraq News http://juancole.com/

The Zogby news release, below, about a new poll demonstrates that Informed Comment is giving the American people what they want in the way of Iraq news: "When asked about the news coverage of the Iraq war, most (80%) say the coverage has been fair or poor. When respondents were asked to pick what coverage they would like to see more of, stories about the Iraqi government and the Iraqi people were the two most chosen (68% each) . . ." They also said that the war is having an impact on their local communities, and a fifth had had a relative serve in Iraq! Nearly half knew community members who had served or were serving.Television news has largely dumped Iraq as a story, quite unwisely according to this poll. Almost as many Americans learn about Iraq from the internet (28%) as from television (33%). We in the blogosphere are not far from overtaking television on this one! Even when they were covering it, the US channels almost never reported on the Iraqi government or people. There have been few interviews with Iraqi government or opposition figures. Virtually no one has explained the difference between Abdul Aziz al-Hakim's Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq and Muqtada al-Sadr's Sadr Movement, both Shiite religious parties. Yet what has been happening in south Iraq and Baghdad lately has been largely a feud between al-Hakim and al-Sadr, with PM al-Maliki having switched to taking al-Hakim's side. One reason the American public so easily believes implausible assertions about Middle East politics is that our mass media gives them little context for judging how plausible assertions are.

The poll:'Released: May 21, 2008New Survey Reveals that the Public is Well Informed about the War in Iraq, More than Half Have Seen Memorable StoryA new online survey from The Poynter Institute measures the public's satisfaction with news coverage of the Iraq war, revealing that most indicate that they are well informed about the war and have seen at least one memorable story about the war's impact at home. More than 50 percent indicate that they have been touched by the war.St. Petersburg, FL (PR Web) May 21, 2008 - According to a new survey released today by The Poynter Institute and funded by The McCormick Foundation, three-quarters of respondents (75%) state that they are well informed about the war, and more than half (60%) indicate that they have seen at least one memorable story about the war's impact at home. The survey's publication coincides with a three-day conference at The Poynter Institute entitled "Covering War at Home."Conducted by Zobgy International, the online survey measures the public's satisfaction with coverage of the Iraq war and included 8,683 adults that were representative of the U.S. population. Other top line survey findings include:Memorable war coverage includes impact at home and healthcare issuesMore than half (60%) say they have seen at least one memorable story about the war's impact at home, and most (80%) say they have followed stories regarding healthcare of those returning from Iraq and an astonishing 88% say they are aware of the Walter Reed story. Three out of four (76%) say they have read or heard about the economic impact of the war.War impacts us at homeNot surprising, the vast majority (86%) believe that the war has an impact on life in the U.S. Nearly half (46%) say that members of their community have died in the war, and 4 in 10 (39%) say that community members are serving in the war. One in five (21%) had a relative serve or is now serving (18%) in the war.The public wants more stories about the Iraqi government and the Iraqi peopleWhen asked about the news coverage of the Iraq war, most (80%) say the coverage has been fair or poor. When respondents were asked to pick what coverage they would like to see more of, stories about the Iraqi government and the Iraqi people were the two most chosen (68% each), followed by stories about returning soldiers (58%), stories about how war has impacted communities here in the U.S. (57%), and news about areas in Iraq where there is not regular conflict (56%). Casualty reports (32%) were the least chosen area of coverage.Television, Web sites are the top destinations for news about impactA third of all respondents (33%) say they learn about the impact of war at home through television, while 28% say they learn about it through Internet sites. Fewer (12%) say they learn about the impact of the war at home via newspaper or radio. Men (32%) are more likely than women (24%) to say they learn about the impact of war at home from Internet sites. Nearly all survey respondents, 90%, indicate they are active consumers of news."This survey gives journalists and newsroom leaders a chance to reflect upon what the public wants to know about the impact of the Iraq war at home. It also reflects the acceleration of the need for journalists to deal with multiple ways to tell their stories, as the Internet is a key platform for consumers to learn about the conflict and the impact,"says Howard Finberg, director of interactive learning at The Poynter Institute.For more information about the survey, visit Poynter Online.

WASHINGTON - When B.J. Jackson lost both his legs to an Iraq war injury, his doctors talked about a lot of things, but they didn’t mention how it might affect his sex life.Jackson’s less-bashful wife brought it up. But even then the couple didn’t get the answers they sought.

Jackson and his wife, Abby, say it’s time to get the issue out in the open in both military medical settings and at home. And they got a lot of agreement at a conference Wednesday, billed as the first of its kind, that focused on wounded troops and intimacy with their partners — in the bedroom and outside it.

This is no minor matter.

About 3,000 of the 30,000 troops wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan have suffered major physical impairment, said former Sen. Bob Dole, who served last year on a presidential commission that examined the treatment of wounded war veterans. Dole, who lost full use of his right arm to a combat injury during World War II, was among the speakers at the conference.Call for compensationVets who have lost a quality-of-life function, such as sexual ability, should be given quality-of-life compensation in addition to other payment, he said, because the magnitude of their disabilities will fully sink in as they age.